Chapter 9 Shift in Mindset
Just as Uchiha Anlan and Uchiha Mikoto were enjoying the beauty of pure love.
On the other side, following behind Fugaku Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha had a furrowed browhis loyalty to the village and his clan was tearing his mind apart.
The young Uchiha couldn't help but ask the question to the broad back of the figure walking silently ahead.
"Brother Fugaku, what are your thoughts on what happened at the clan meeting?"
"My thoughts?"
Fugaku paused slightly, his broad shoulders appearing particularly heavy in the moonlight.
He took a deep breath, as if to expel all the pent-up emotions in his chest.
"From the family's perspective, Cousin Anlan is absolutely right…"
Fugaku paused, his voice growing increasingly low, "But from the perspective of Konoha's higher-ups, the entire Uchiha clan is guilty of heinous crimes."
"So what should we do?"
Shisui quickened his pace and pressed closer, asking, "Now that Sister Mikoto is also standing by Brother Anlan's side, the combined strength of the two factions accounts for three-quarters of the family's power."
"With Anlan's strong execution ability, they really have a chance to attack the Hokage Building and complete their plan."
Uchiha Yakumi, who was Fugaku's right-hand man, and a dozen other Uchiha from his faction turned their gazes toward them.
The speeches given by Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Anlan at the clan meeting were truly thought-provoking.
From the perspective of ninjas and strength, they understood and seriously considered the relationship between the Uchiha clan and the Konoha leadership.
The small favors and benefits that the former doves and clan leaders received in return for their hard work and dedication to the Konoha leadership now seemed awkward no matter how you looked at it.
Did the Uchiha clan really care about such petty gains?
Was it worth it for the Uchiha to offer their loyalty to someone who remained cold and indifferent in return?
If what Uchiha Anlan said was true, it would be better to unite and openly confront the Konoha leadership that might actually be more comfortable and carefree.
The Uchiha clan members of the patriarch's faction were waiting for an answer from their young lord.
Fugaku wasn't simply a fool. His thinking had simply fallen into a misconception an ingrained way of thinking that had developed over the years in an atmosphere that leaned toward compromise and closeness to the Hokage faction.
The Uchiha clan members of the patriarch's faction were still waiting.
"Does everyone still remember another thing that my cousin Anlan said?"
Fugaku tilted his head, looked at Shisui and the others, and answered his own question.
"The Konoha leadership is the Konoha leadership, and Konoha Village is Konoha Village. The Uchiha's enemies are merely the remnants left behind by the Senju clan, not the entire village of Konoha."
"Unite all forces worthy of unity and strike at enemies that must be eradicated — ultimately, we must recognize who our real enemy is."
The words that once went in one ear and out the other had become increasingly clear in Fugaku's memory as the hawks' advantage grew more and more obvious.
Thinking entirely from the family's perspective, while Anlan's statement was radical, it was not entirely without merit.
Shisui asked, puzzled, "But Brother Fugaku, if the Konoha leadership can't represent Konoha, then are they still Konoha's leadership?"
"If the Uchiha clan leader can't command the Uchiha clan, is he still a clan leader?"
Uchiha Yakumi, standing to one side, suddenly replied.
"With internal conflicts still existing within the clan, how could a ninja village jointly established by ninja clans and commoners not have factional disputes?"
All eyes turned to him. At Fugaku's signal, Yakumi, who had the most dealings with the hawks, calmly analyzed the situation.
"Lord Anlan once said that the main conflict within the village is between the old ninja clans and the growing number of commoner ninjas."
"The fallen Senju clan members were devoured by Hiruzen Sarutobi and his ilk. The spilled scraps were enough to make even ordinary ninjas grateful to the Hokage."
"However, as the number of civilian ninjas gradually increased and their overall strength grew stronger, after securing the interests of the Hokage faction, they could only turn their attention to the ninja clans within the village."
"Our clan has numerous conflicts with the higher-ups, controls the entire security department, and possesses vast assets — making us the most ideal target."
As he spoke, he became increasingly animated, his voice trembling with a sense of sudden enlightenment.
"Driven by the Konoha leadership, the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha has become the central internal conflict within the village."
After expressing all his thoughts, he felt refreshed and clear-headed, and finally made a firm and resolute statement.
"They want to take everything from us by stepping over the corpses of the Uchiha!"
This series of analyses left Shisui, who had not yet fully grasped everything, deep in thought.
In particular, Yakumi's resounding conclusion lingered in his mind for a long time.
Whether in the clan's territory or the ninja academy, young children learned mostly how to kill. Beyond that, they were taught love for family and village but not truly why, or how.
And so, Shisui fell into confusion.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire will never cease. The firelight will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout."
He murmured softly, "Is this wrong too?"
"The words themselves are not wrong — only the people who speak them," Uchiha Yakumi said coldly.
"The Senju brothers took the lead and fought on the front lines. And yet look at Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others now. They have become the very 'sprouts' illuminated by that firelight — warming themselves at a fire they never lit."
"No wonder Lord Anlan holds them in such contempt."
"Yakumi." Fugaku's voice was sharp. "We must still maintain the most basic respect for the Hokage."
Fugaku glared at Uchiha Yakumi, then reached out and patted Shisui on the shoulder.
He valued this rising star of the family greatly.
Moreover, Uchiha Shisui was a descendant of Uchiha Kagami, one of the Second Hokage's guards, and served as a natural bridge between the Uchiha clan and the Konoha leadership.
Fugaku said in a deep voice, "Shisui, don't overthink it."
"The path forward for the family is for your elders to decide."
The elder's words of comfort allowed Shisui to barely regain his composure, managing a slight smile.
"Brother Fugaku, I understand."
Fugaku nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to the Uchiha members present.
"After you go back, those who need to rest should rest, and those who need to prepare should prepare. Everyone knows what must be said and what must not."
"For the future of our clan, for the Konoha that rightfully belongs to the Uchiha let us stand united, defeat Kirigakure, and return with glory!"
End of Chapter...